Of Mice and Punks
OOC: A Joint post between Winters and Large Hobbit It had been a long day for the resident punk. It had just bee one thing after the other none stop. First, the slice and dice of the crooked cop, then forcing compliance form the other, then the little one ODing and hardly a short break before he was tapped to help Doc save his eye! He was tired! At the moment Doc could finally sleep without damaging the eyes and ship seemed to have quieted some. So Vas luxuriated on a couch in the common room assured he wasn't going to be called on any time soon. He sighed taking in the smoke from his kretek and exhales the clove-scented smoke relaxing some. 'What a hell of a day.' He thought to himself taking another warm drag. Gill could not sleep. Besides the infirmary was a little crowded with Lyen watching over his sister and the only chair remaining far from comfortable. He wandered down to their rooms first taking down the box of parts donated by the ship's engineer. Devron and the shoes that were given to them by the Doc. All in all, they were good people he decided as he pushed the box under the bed and set about tidying the place up. Like every other room on the ship, it had been completely ransacked by the Feds, not that they owned much to make a mess of in the first place. It did not take long to get the place looking habitable once more and he sat down after a few minutes to pull off his old boots and tuck on his new ones. They were comfortable, and probably about the only item of clothing he owned that was not second hand. He stared down at them for a moment, wiggling his toes and just feeling... well, grateful he supposed. He had a lot to be grateful for he mused. They had found shelter here on this ship and had so far avoided the Alliance who would separate them. He was being fed and was perhaps even making a few friends. That was if he could talk Haddie into refraining from stealing from them!! His stomach rumbled and he realized he had not eaten in hours. Gods he needed food. With that thought pushing all aside he made his way out and upwards towards the common room where he found Vas relaxing on the couch. He paused unsure as to whether to interrupt him but when Vas looked up and did not seem overly annoyed at the company he spoke and stepped into the room, "I am getting some food." he explained, "do you want anything?" Vas let out the smoke through his nose. "If you can reach the rice crackers short stack, I'd be much obliged." He responded as he continued to sprawl on the couch his blue eyes drifting away to some daydream. Maybe they would get some leave on Valintine? It was a nice place too, not overly developed. Maybe he could take Jacy out for a picnic! Go on a real date. Gill forced off the frown that tried to surface at being called short stack. Vas was being pretty cool on balance, given that their acquaintance had stared with him cracking the guy on the nose with a broom handle. He felt a little bad about that now, after getting to know him a little it was clear he had meant Haddie no harm. She had just stabbed the Fed after all... "Sure no problem." He found the crackers pretty quickly and grabbed one of the silver packets containing meat jerky and a can of soda before heading back through. He tossed the crackers over to Vas and dumped himself a nearby chair. Popping open the can he watched Vas taking a drag of... what was that thing? "What is that thing?" He asked. Vas caught the crackers and nodded his thanks. He leaned forward to crush the used up black cigarette in the ashtray. The punk lit up another one, long day, he was indulging! "This?" Vas said holding up the black cigarette. " "Scalled a Kretek." He answered the kid. "It's like a cigarette but it's got sugar and spice and everything nice." He said in a sing-song way. "This one is my favorite, with cinnamon and clove, the sugar leaves a sweet taste on the lips." Vas gave the black stick another look and offered Gill a chance to try. I mean let's face it Vas wasn't exactly the paragon of morality here. Hell Vas was younger than Gill when he started so as far as the punk was concerned he wasn't going to begrudge the kid a drag or two if he was curious. Gill took the Kretek and held it up, twisting it this way and that as he plucked up the nerve to take a drag. Glancing up at Vas he decided he did not want to seem a wus about it and popped the end in his mouth and sucked in hard. He immediately gagged and choked on the smoke and spent the next few seconds trying to catch his breath. He flushed scarlet with embarrassment and handed back the cigarette. "Sorry." he half spoke, half coughed. Not looking up to see if Vas was laughing her opened up his soda can and took a long swig. The taste of the smoke was still strong in his tongue and lips and he swished the drink around in his mouth to wash it down. Vas had a wry smile when he took back the black Kretek. It wasn't his goal to shame the kid after all and he knew all too well about being young and prideful. "You get used to it." He assured the kid as he watched Gill cough and gag. The punk took a drag while opening the crackers to munch on. "Shanky still sleeping it off?" Vas asked curiously eyeing the kid. Mostly to make sure hey didn't get a bit green around the edges. That happened sometimes. "Huh? Yeah... yes she's asleep. The doc says she'll be fine and that priest woman is sitting with her. Doc gave me some new shoes?" he waved his left foot to a fro to show them off. He didn't know why just seemed he wanted to share news of his small fortune. Things like that were rare out in the verse, small gestures of humanity. "I er... I wanted to say I was sorry." Gill stammered, "For the crack with the stick. I... I am sorry." there he had said it and now he would find out if Vas was holding a grudge or not about the incident. "Doc must have taken a shine to you and your sis to have snagged a pair of new boots like that." Vas said with an impressed nod. They were nice and has the brand new shine to them. "When he comes round back from the land of Nod you should thank him proper like." He added. Vas blinked for a moment not sure what the kid was apologizing about but on further elaboration, he couldn't help but laugh. "Right, yea." Granted the being hit with the stick was slightly overshadow by the face full of boobs that resulted. Hell, it kinda still made him red around the edges thinking about it. Oddly it may have also been the most bizarre icebreaker between him and Jacy. "No worries kid, water under the proverbial space bridge." Vas assured Gill. "Besides it was a lucky shot. won't happen twice I promise." He teased the kid with a wolfish grin. It was funny in retrospect. "Yeah... you can fight real well. I mean you know how to look after yourself. Like I said before if you could teach me... I know, I know you say you aren't a fighter, but you know how to..." he struggled for the words and then remembered something his dad used to say about prizefighters back on Santo,"That guy sure knows how to carry himself, he's won before he throws a punch." he took a deep breath as he tried to put it in his own words.. "You know how to look tough, like people won't mess with you. I need that... I need something If I am going to look after Haddie. If I am going to keep her out of trouble. I am not looking for lessons or anything, that not what I mean... just some advice. Like with Riley for example, she terrifies me, but you seem to handle her, no problem. How do you do that?" "Riley? She's not scary, Lieutenant just runs a tight ship is all. That one's a soldier in her way, so there ain't no big secret on getting on her good side. Find work round the ship, do your job and keep busy. Though right about now I imagine your on her shit list." Vas commented. "If you're just looking to look tough, get a haircut and tattoo or something." Vas pointed out but paused a moment feeling that was too harsh. Gill didn't seem to realize the source of what made Vas scary was the ease and willingness to lay down violence. "Tell ya what ... When Doc comes round you ask him what happened to the guy who did that number to his face. If he tells you true ... I'll give you some pointers. Fair?" He thought would be a good way to tell if he should be teaching the kids different ways to off a person or not. He wasn't against it mind you ... Vas just wasn't sure how the others would appreciate it. As far as he was concerned Gill and Shankey were long overdue for some kind of formal training! How else were they going to survive on there own in the 'verse. They couldn't forever be protected by charitable adults! It sure as hell didn't work out like that for him! Vas at least only had to worry about himself during his formative years. Gill grinned from ear to ear, despite the reluctance on the part of Vas he read it as a promise made and offered over his hand to shake, "Deal!" he said with hopeful enthusiasm, even though the thought of asking the Doc about his personal business made him squirm inside. He did not even want to think about being on Rileys "shit list." she was bad enough at the best of times! Vas grinned at the kid's enthusiasm. Okay fine he was a little soft on him and Shankey. Maybe it was cuz she stabbed a Fed and that tickled him. Or Gill has no idea what he was getting himself into and that tickled him. "Yea, Yea." Vas said. "Take what I said about the Lieutenant seriously though. She's the one that often is making the call. So I would busy hump to get back in her good graces since there plenty of work to be had at the moment." He advised. Valentine was a nice place, right at the edge of the core. Plus after this whole fiasco, Riley might be not be feeling so charitable so it was up to Gill to change her mind.